This past week was energizing! I started the week feeling like I was going a little crazy. My curiosities are leading me in various directions and I am going with the flow but this week it felt like things were all crashing together. I had meetings scheduled with people from all of the areas and was feeling a bit overwhelmed. What I realize now, though, is that I might be on a track that winds and turns but it's the right wacky track.
Amy is a friend of mine that I met through both The Right Brain Initiative and Project Breaker. This summer we also participated together on a panel with maker and design educators and decided, after speaking for a few minutes about our similar beliefs, that we must get together for lunch. We met at one of my favorite restaurants in town, Bollywood Theater on Alberta, and proceeded to eat and talk for three hours about design education, New Orleans, the future of the maker space in PPS, and simply how we got to where we are. It was so nice to have the time to simply sit down with a fellow educator and talk about our thoughts. This is something that often only happens in schools with bells ringing in the background and the heaviness of experiences with students and lessons plans on our shoulders.
Next came Adam. I was introduced to Adam via email when I was writing the Project Grant for RACC in August. I just recently took the time to write him back and glad I did because come to find out he is moving out of town. Adam was generous enough to meet with me in his whirlwind of packing to talk to me about his experience in the "real world" teaching people how to communicate more effectively in their workspaces through various design games and processes. (I put "real world" in quotes because I often feel that world of education is submerged in it's own little bubble and the rest of the world is what is out beyond the waters). He gave me such insight on how this design process works with adults and in companies and I realized that the resistance for learning this engaging and powerful process does not only exist at the bottom of the sea. He has a wealth of knowledge and passion for what he does and I am bummed that he is leaving town, although I am almost positive we will stay in touch and work together somehow in the future.
And then yesterday was my day to focus on my art business. I found Bonnie by simply searching Google for Portland Art Consultant last week. When we spoke on the phone I felt that I had found someone who understood where I was coming from (she's been an art teacher before) and could enlighten me on where I was going (she is a small business consultant now). So, I packed up my art briefcase and headed downtown on a mission. While Bonnie and I ideated new ideas and formulated plans for my artwork and business, I felt mixed emotions of being scared at one minute (how do I approach store owners?) to being excited the next (awesome idea to have people mix and match!) and finally just feeling determined (this is what I want to do right now!). I am now harnessed with encouragement, new skills, and a list of tasks to begin the real work of getting my art out into the world.
So, on I continue down this ever changing and adventurous road. Who knows what will be around the next corner?!